I Want to Know
by Ms. SpearBourne
Summary: The sequel to Another Night, Another Dream. Six months later, Lola's gotten over Vince and fallen in love with Ryback. But, when a new chance for power arises, will their happiness last? Can she resist the temptation to return to her old life? Rated M for non-explicit situations and themes.
1. Travelled So Far

_When I decided to close out Another Night, Another Dream, I thought I was done with writing WWE fics. Then Ryback returned, and I had this little nugget of an idea that I thought was too cute not to jot down._  
><em>Then, last night, Mr. McMahon showed up to open Monday Night Raw, and some old feelings . . . Well, let's just say this isn't going to be a simple story.<em>  
><em>Damn plot bunnies won't stop hopping through my head and multiplying.<em>

_In my life, there's been heartache and pain;_  
><em>I don't know if I can face it again . . .<em>

September 2014

Lola settled happily into a pair of strong arms. It had been six months since Vince McMahon had broken her heart, but she'd managed to pick up the pieces and move on with her life. After a rather lengthy road trip, she had wound up face to face with a familiar pair of blue eyes.

"I missed you, Lola," Ryback murmured into her hair.

"I missed you, too. I didn't realise how much until I saw you again."

He chuckled briefly. "You're not going to have a chance to miss me again," he vowed as he pulled her closer for a kiss. "You're done with Vince, right?"

She let out a gentle sigh. "Yes. Completely." She understood the big guy's need for reassurance, but she didn't like to be reminded of the pain she'd been through.

13 October 2014

"Mmm, Lola," Ryback moaned as he set his fork down. "That lasagna . . . all the vegetables . . . the meatballs . . . And I don't think I've ever been so excited over a salad before!"

She giggled, pleased to see him so happy. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." She scooted her chair back. "How about dessert? I made a -"

He swept her up into his arms. "You're all I want for dessert."

The following morning, they awoke wrapped in each other's arms. He couldn't imagine a sweeter moment. His return to the ring was rapidly approaching, he had the woman of his dreams, and he was stronger than ever.

Lola sighed happily into his broad chest. It felt wonderful not to be someone's dirty little secret or a means to an end.

She could lie in his arms forever.

The buzzing of the alarm clock put an end to their morning reverie. Ryback groaned and stretched. Lola sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes.

"We both have a lot of work to do today," she reminded him gently.

He groaned again and buried his head under the pillows.

She grinned at how adorable he was in the morning. "Come on. We should get in the shower. I'll scrub your back if you'll scrub mine."

That was enough to get him out of bed.

The combination of the hot water, the scent of her soap, and the feel of the suds against their skin kept them busy longer than they'd intended. Hands explored curves, memorising every line. Fingers intertwined, unwilling to lose contact. Lips sought out each other, yearning for just one more kiss.

When, at last, they emerged from the steam, they were sated and hungry.

They might have lingered over breakfast if not for other matters which required their attention.

They settled into this happy routine over the next several days, enjoying every moment they could spend together.

When he told her he would soon be returning to the ring, her first concern was for his safety.

"Honey, I'll be fine," he assured her. "I'm stronger than ever. And I'm happier than ever before. You'll see. Everything will be just fine."

She gave him a soft smile. "Yeah. I just . . . I worry, you know? I can't help it."

Ryback nodded. "So . . . You'll . . . I mean, I know it might be difficult for you, but . . . would you . . . be willing to . . . travel with me?"

After a moment's pause, she replied, "I thought that was a given, my love."

26 October 2014, afternoon

"How're things out there?" Lola asked her old friend.

"Oh, it's . . . fine. What about you? How do you feel about going back?"

Lola chuckled. "I'm not exactly _going back_, just going to support the man I love."

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight, and you don't plan on making any suggestions to anyone while you're there. Come on, hon, this is me you're talking to."

There was silence on both ends of the line for a long moment. Finally, Lola let out a weary sigh. "I'm done with that. I gave up that - that - that part of my life when I walked away from . . . And besides, Mayv, it's not like I'll be there, wandering around, adjusting things."

"All right. If you say so."

"Good. How's the writing?"

"Ugh. Too many plot bunnies. They're all hopping through my head, making me dizzy. I'm having trouble sorting them all out," she admitted.

Lola hummed in understanding.

"It's just too many ideas. I actually went back and - you remember that one story I was writing? About Erik and Annie?"

"Yeah, that was a popular one."

"Well, I went back to the beginning of it and I'm reworking all those silly things I added when people kept saying it was _so romantic_."

"Hah, I remember that. There you were, writing what was meant to be a despicable villain, and they called his creepiness and violence _hot_." Mayv hissed. "Sure, but when that other guy did those same things, that was bad. That's when they cried out that it was wrong." She took a deep breath to calm herself. "It all wound up bizarrely cartoonish, so I'm rewriting it as a proper . . . not horror, exactly. Terror. Suspense."

"Ah. Cool. It was plenty disturbing when you started it. Mm! Ryback'll be home soon. May the Muses be with you."

"And also with you. Have fun tomorrow."

"You, too."

After they'd hung up, Lola wondered if Mayv hadn't been right, if there hadn't been some part of her, however small, that wanted the power she'd once yielded.


	2. Slapulations

_27 October 2014_

_backstage, before Monday Night Raw_

Lola was nervous. "Who's your first match back going to be against?"

"Not sure. I have to wait for the opportunity to present itself," Ryback explained.

She nodded and sighed, trying to calm down. Instead of thinking about his potential opponent, she focussed on the rippling of his muscles as he adjusted his ring gear. She slapped her thighs and rose. "I'm going to see if I can get a cup of tea." She stood on the tips of her toes to kiss him. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p><em>'An open challenge, huh? I wouldn't mind going out there and sl-'<em>

"FEED ME MORE" echoed throughout the building.

Lola gasped then began chuckling giddily. _'Opportunity. Of course.'_ She kept her eyes glued to the monitor as Ryback made quick work of the inspirational Bo Dallas.

When he joined her backstage, she leaped into his arms. "That was awesome! You looked amazing out there!"

"Thanks, babe! It felt really good to be back," he replied, as excited as she was over his win.

"I've got to tell you, if I couldn't slap Bo, watching you pummel him was just as fun."

He arched an eyebrow at her.

"Well, somebody had to wipe that smug look off his face," she pouted.

He set her down. "Yeah, you're right. He was getting pretty full of himself. I have to do an interview. Give me a couple of minutes?"

"Of course. I'll be over at catering."

"Hello, Lola," a gruff voice intoned behind her.

She swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat before turning to face him. "Hello, Mr. McMahon."

"Formal, aren't we? How have you been, Ms. Spears?"

_'Don't look into his eyes,'_ she warned herself. "Fine," she remarked softly. "And you? How was your summer?"

He cleared his throat. "Good. I had a lot of time to . . . think . . . while you've been gone."

She could only nod her head sadly. She shuddered when he reached out to touch her cheek. "No," she breathed.

He leaned in to whisper, "Does it really hurt you so much to be this close to me?"

Pulling back, her lips accidentally grazed his jaw the way they used to, but there was no passion there now. "I've moved on. You wanted nothing more to do with me, so I left. Remember?"

"Lola, please -"

"No," she repeated, her voice steady. "You pushed me away. I had plenty of time to think, too, Vince, and I realised something."

Ryback strolled up beside her and placed a protective arm around her shoulders.

"What? What did you realise, Lola?" Vince prompted.

"I love Ryback. Goodbye, Vince."

The Chairman stared after the pair as they walked away. _'No, you still love me. I saw it in your eyes when I caressed your face. I felt it when you kissed me. I _will_ win you back, Lola,'_ he silently vowed.

* * *

><p>"What was that tonight?" Ryback asked as he arranged toppings on his burger.<p>

"What was what, sweetie?"

He glared down at his plate. "You and Vince."

"Oh." She nibbled on an onion ring to stall for a moment. "He came over to say hello. And he asked me how I'd been. That's all. We hadn't talked since March -"

"So you were what? Making up for lost time?" he mumbled between bites.

Lola shook her head. "I told you. That chapter of my life is over. Through. Done with. I love _you_." She tilted her head to try to catch his eye. "Hey. I love you."

Though he kept his head down, she could tell he was smiling.

"That post-match interview with Eden was good," she commented as she dug into her salad.

He lifted a shoulder. "I was too . . . subdued. Unexcited."

"No, you were subtle, understated. I think it made more of an impact than it might have if you had been shouting the whole time."

"Hm, I guess you're right. Do you feel like having dessert?" He hazarded a glance up at her. "I'll take that grin as a yes. Let's finish this up then get some cheesecake."

"Ryback, you naughty boy. What a wonderful idea."

* * *

><p><em>3 November 2014<em>

Mr. McMahon straightened his tie. Lola had been so cute that afternoon, resisting him and trying to push him away when he'd started kissing her.

She'd kept insisting that they shouldn't, that they mustn't. She couldn't cheat on Ryback while he was at the gym! It was unthinkable.

And then she'd kissed him back.

It was so much like the first time. He'd taken it moment by moment, never rushing her, savouring each caress, holding her close to him once more.

But she'd seemed to regret it when it was over. "This can't ever happen again."

Incredulous, he had stared at her. "Lola, that was like the first time - sweet, slow, passionate. We can have -"

"We can have what, Vince? What we had before?! The sneaking around? The lies? The knowing we could never be anything more than a tawdry fling?" she'd cried.

"We were good together," he'd reminded her.

"We were great together," she'd agreed. "But it was never enough. And it was too much. I can't go back to that, to living in the shadows, to the threats. This summer was the first time in a long time that I felt at peace. That I felt safe. And now I'm with Ryback, and I don't have to be his dirty little secret."

He sighed at his reflection. She had been right, he knew. Still, he couldn't give up. She had fallen so easily back into his arms, and he wasn't willing to let her go. Not again. Never again.

_'Time to head out there to open the show. If I dangle a carrot in front of her, she'll at least try to take a bite. I just have to find something to occupy Ryback's time and attention.'_

* * *

><p><em>7 November 2014<em>

"I'm facing Cesaro tonight," Ryback stated, slightly amused.

Lola glanced up from the story she was editing. "Really? Wow. That should be a good match."

He nodded. "Titus was good on Monday, but I want a real challenge."

"Someone big. Someone who's been unstoppable, maybe? Someone like Rusev?" It was almost too easy to provoke the big guy into a feud.

He pondered this for a moment. "Yeah . . . For someone who hates America, he sure went after the US title like he loves it."

"It's angered an awful lot of people, too, to see him - well, being disrespectful."

In the middle of a stretch, he merely grunted at her observation.

She could only hope she'd said enough.


	3. If I'm Honest

_Monday, mid-afternoon, 24 November 2014_

"Vince, I just don't know."

"What's to know? Raw needs an authority figure; you were good at that. You can restore order to the program. As well as bring back some level of trust."

Lola huffed out a breath. "Quite a few people still believe that silly lie that it was Hornswoggle."

"I know. You distracted them from reality with the truth."

She grinned wickedly. "When I'm honest, people think I'm lying. If they had any idea about the way . . . But I must let them continue thinking that what I say is just some joke. No, I can't let them get to me. I have to be . . . as I once was."

He brushed the backs of his fingers along her cheek. "Was that a yes?"

She gazed up at him and wondered how it could be so easy to take the reigns again. She had a good thing with Ryback. Could she handle the drama of being the anonymous general manager of Monday night Raw once more _and_ keep her relationship?

* * *

><p><em>Approaching midnight, after Monday Night Raw<em>

Back in their hotel room, Lola placed her keys and purse on the dresser. Ryback wouldn't return for a while yet, and she wanted to take care of a couple of things before he did. It was a good thing she never went anywhere without her computer; the charts and notes she'd made over the summer would come in handy. She sat down at the desk; the view out the window was nice. Still, her heart was heavy with worry, not only for herself, but for the people affected by that court ruling earlier that day.

_'Is there no justice?'_ she wondered bitterly.

The gentle but insistent knocking at the door pulled her from her muddled thoughts.

"Daniel," she greeted, surprised. "What are y- Would you like to come in?"

He nodded and strode past her. "Yeah, I kind of need to talk to you about something."

"Oh?" She glanced up and down the hallway before shutting the door. "What can I do for you?"

"You saw Raw tonight, right?"

"Of course."

"What did you think?"

"The matches you booked? Great! And the way surprised Hunter and Stephanie . . . I let out a little scream when you made your way out to the ring. But my favourite part was what you said to them. You really messed with their heads. Pretty much what I would have done to Team Authority. So . . . Deserved."

He perked up. "Really? Good. That's good." He went over to the window and gazed out at the nightlife milling about below them.

Lola could tell there was more he wanted to say. "Daniel?"

"Hm? Oh, right. Well . . . The laptop came back."

"Yes."

"Hornswoggle's running things again?" he asked, disbelief and bemusement on his face.

She stifled the giggles that threatened to erupt from her throat. _'Stone face,'_ she commanded herself. "I wouldn't know."

"Suuuuure, you wouldn't. Did you think no one saw you with Vince tonight?"

"That would be difficult, Daniel, considering I wasn't with Vince. I have neither seen nor spoken to him since the spring."

He eyed her warily. It was nearly impossible to tell when she was lying. Only her father and her uncle had ever been able to tell, but they weren't around to clue him in - not that he honestly thought they would. He held his hands up in surrender. "Okay. If you say so. I should be getting back to Brie. Good talking to you, Lola."

She smiled back at him. "Nice to see you, too, Daniel. And I really did enjoy what you did while you were in charge of Raw tonight."

Something in her voice gave him a chill, but he simply nodded his thanks and strolled out of her hotel room.

* * *

><p>The following morning, Lola awoke in Ryback's arms, his heartbeat thumping steadily in her ear. Here, with him, she was safe. She loved and was loved. She was home. Her happy little sigh roused him from his slumber.<p>

"Awake already, babe?" he murmured.

She moaned a sleepy protest and snuggled closer to him.

He chuckled, and the sound resonated through her body like a favourite melody. "Come on. I have to get to the gym. You want to meet for lunch?"

"Okay," she mumbled against his chest, her lips tickling his skin.

He gave her one more cuddle before he extricated himself from the tangled sheets. "You have any plans for today?" he asked.

"Mmmm . . . No." She stretched lazily. "Nothing set in stone, anyway."

Once she heard the shower running, she reached for her phone on the nightstand. There was one new message, received only a couple of minutes earlier.

_Want to meet for breakfast?_

She considered this for a moment, then texted back that she would need a little time to be able to slip away.

_OK_ came the immediate reply.

_'How can I keep lying to him? But, if he knew what was going on, what I've been doing -'_

The water suddenly stopped running. She slid out of bed and tucked her phone into her purse. What else could she do but continue to hide this one piece of information from the man she loved?


	4. Truth Begins In Lies

_25 November 2014_

The Tuesday before Thanksgiving had been hers since their affair had begun. It felt strange to know that, this year, they would have only a meeting over breakfast and not the sumptuous feast of years past.

"Good morning, Vince," she greeted cheerily as she slid into the booth.

"Lola. How are you this morning?"

"I'm . . . fine." She refused to admit that a part of her, however small, still felt something for him; she knew that would only be inviting trouble.

But it was exciting - the secrecy, the power, the knowledge that she could affect everyone's lives with a snap of her fingers. The temptation to reclaim what she'd lost was too great.

"Have you considered what you're going to do?"

She tilted her head slightly to the right and smiled. "Yes, and I'm still not sure. I have until Sunday to decide, right?"

"I could just make the decision for you, Lola," he reminded her.

She arched an eyebrow at him. "What? Make me want it by denying it to me?" They _were_ still talking about the managerial position, weren't they? "That won't work this time, Mr McMahon."

He folded his hands on the table in front of him. "But I could force you to make the decisions about matches. About title shots. About opportunities. You love the show too much to let things run rampant. You know that's what will happen if there's no general manager."

He had a point. She lowered her head to study the cup of coffee in front of her. Eggs Florentine sounded good. She shook her head. Damn it, the man was right. She _did_ love Raw too much to let it descend back into chaos. If he was going to force her hand, this was exactly the way to do it.

"Fine, Vince. I will -" Her voice hitched in her throat. It hurt to know that she was accepting the responsibility over all those people once more, but she _was_ just the one to hold that power. Stephanie and Hunter were no longer trusted by the superstars and divas, hadn't been in some time. Lola, at least, had their best interests, as well as their safety, at heart.

She had to say the words. He needed to hear it. Those sweet little lips had to . . . He had to have them. "Lola," he whispered.

She cleared her throat. "Yes, Vince. I will be -" She inhaled and exhaled slowly several times. "I will accept the position of GeneralManagerofMondayNightRaw," she flung the words out before she could stop herself.

He sat back and smirked. He had known she wouldn't be able to resist.

* * *

><p><em>28 November 2014, very early morning<em>

She sat, her fingers laced together and held the resulting fist against her lips. Had she done the right thing? Daniel Bryan would be the guest GM for SmackDown; that would be fun to watch. She had matches to book for Monday, and she knew what she wanted to see, but she had to consider what the audience needed to see happen.

_'Ambrose vs Ziggler . . . No, Ambrose and Ziggler vs Harper and Wyatt. That would be interesting, but . . . Maybe . . . Damien Mizdow . . . Hmmm . . . Ryback vs Rollins? I should just ask him later who -'_ She grinned at the memory of how Ryback had kissed her hours before. It sent a shiver down her spine to remember the feel of his -

_'Concentrate,'_ she told herself. _'Ambrose and Ziggler versus Miz and Mizdow. Orton versus Cena. Heh, that would get a reaction, but not the kind I want to see. Cena versus Rollins, perhaps. Kane, what to do with you? Continue on concessions? Roasting wieners? Rollins . . . versus . . . Adam Rose. But, to open the show, after the Thanksgiving video, Big Show could be given an opportunity to . . . slap Michael Cole. Dare to hope, Lola. It's not like this is Lucha Underground, where - Oy, I miss Striker.'_ She lowered her head to the desk. It was a completely different playing field from the one she'd stepped onto back in 2010.

What a difference four years could make.

She took a deep breath, then another, then a third. She needed a couple of hours of sleep. Things would surely be clearer in the light of day.

_29 November 2014_

Smackdown had certainly been a fun couple of hours. Kane interfering in Rollins and Ryback's match had been unexpected. Perhaps, Lola mused, Ryback would want a little payback on Monday? True, they would face each other at TLC, but, still, he might want to blow off some steam before then.

Rusev . . . Rusev would have to be upset over having had to face the entire roster in that battle royal, even though he had won and retained the US title. Lana would undoubtedly have words for the crowd about that.

The divas deserved more time. Everybody knew that. She would have to sit Vince down and force him to watch that match between Sexy Star and Ivelisse. _That_ was how women fought when given the chance. They'd had words, taunted each other, mocked a little, then battled. And it was wonderful.

The audience needed to see that women could be taken seriously in the ring. _'We don't have to fall back on shaming each other for having had more than one relationship. Or on using our feminine wiles to get what we want. We're better than that. We deserve better than that.'_

The problem was getting them out of that antiquated mindset. She'd have to book a really good divas match to get the audience to see that things were going to get better. AJ could have a little time off to clear her head. There needed to be a number one contender for the Divas Championship, though. A tournament for that chance would be better than a simple through-the-ropes battle royal. Yes. Let one woman claw her way to a title shot and show the world she deserved it.


	5. Start Full, Finish Empty

_Thanks vmfan4life :)_

_1 December 2014, nearly midnight_

They were having a late supper in a rather nice restaurant not far from the hotel. To anyone looking, even those who knew their history, they seemed to be a just a pair of friends catching up.

And that's what she kept telling herself they were.

She had plans, but it would be difficult to implement them when things had gotten so ridiculously chaotic in her absence.

"There are matches I want to book, but, after what happened tonight, I feel as though I won't be taken seriously."

"Why didn't you send another email? Assert your power once more?"

Lola sighed dejectedly. "After I was so rudely interrupted, I didn't feel like being disrespected yet again. Of all the -"

Vince held his hands up. "I know. Cena takes too many liberties. But he _did_ help remove The Authority from power."

"So did Sting," she pointed out. "And Ziggler was a big part of -"

"Yes, yes. Without them, you wouldn't have been able to . . . return, as it were."

She averted her eyes briefly. "Yeah, well . . . Don't count on me sticking around forever," she murmured. _'Keep it short, and you might not get interrupted so often.'_

He inhaled sharply then cleared his throat. No matter how many times she left, she always came back to him.

* * *

><p><em>2 December 2014, morning<em>

Ryback was worried. Lola hadn't come to bed until after he'd gone to bed, and she'd left before he'd awoken. He had no idea where she was.

No call, no note, nothing.

He was eating breakfast alone for the first time in weeks, and it was making him angry.

She was his girl. He wasn't ready to let her go. Not again. He'd prefer a fight to this silence. She could have screamed at him, protested, anything but that sad, wounded look she'd given him last night. He hadn't wanted her to see him weak. After that attack, he felt . . . embarassed. It was not a good feeling.

And she deserved a strong man. A man who could protect her. A man who could hold her. A man worthy of her adoration.

He tore into another slice of bacon. _'She's right,'_ he thought to himself. _'This is too salty.'_

He tossed the meat back onto the table, paid his tab, and decided to get on with his day. He opted to go for a walk and see if he could track down the woman he loved.

* * *

><p>Lola held her head in her hands. It had felt good to cry. A real, from-her-depths sob session. Everything she'd been feeling for the past year had come to the surface and spilled out of her in a torrent. She was empty. And, now, it was time to get to work.<p>

_'I need to set up something for Zack Ryder when he returns. His popularity was utterly ignored. His talent, wasted in jokes of matches. Really, he is too good to be fodder for some brute. The NXT guys are doing well, but they need more time, more seasoning. Rollins. Oh, Seth, what do I do with you now that you've dismantled Stephanie and Hunter's little team? You must be rewarded for that long con. Yes. Lesnar should make an appearance soon. I have to talk to Heyman about that. It has to be before that Money in the Bank contract runs out. He understands that, of course. But will he be reasonable? As for Ambrose . . . He's such a loose cannon, I could just let him fire off as he pleases. Keep Wyatt occupied for the time being. Barrett - I wonder how he'd fare on commentary? Would he agree to that? Cole could use some time off.'_

She giggled at that idea. If Wade were the one reading her emails, perhaps others would be less inclined to interrupt and take advantage of the attention.

Not for the first time, she wished she could get a hold of Dario Cueto and discuss booking with him.


	6. Blind Man's Bluff

_A/N: Ryback. *sigh* Oh, the Ryback. What a beautiful man. What an appetite! Oh, I could have such fun cooking for him . . ._

_26 December 2014_

Ryback moaned as Lola's hands worked their magic on his back. This was what she had been afraid of, that he would get hurt again. But not being in the ring would have hurt him more; it would have damaged his soul.

The tears threatened to spill out of her eyes once more. She loved this man beyond reason, beyond pain, beyond everything, and keeping the Secret was clawing at her insides. She didn't realise she was crying until he wiped the tears from her cheek.

"Hey, I'll be okay."

"I know," she said. "It's not that. I h- There's something . . ." Her entire body trembled as she struggled to get the words out. "What would you think of me being the general manager of Monday Night Raw again?"

A grin tugged at one side of his mouth. "Babe . . . You said you'd left that part of your life behind. Is . . . Is that what's bothering you? You miss calling the shots?"

A sigh shuddered through her. "With The Authority gone, Vince had me running things for a bit. That's why the laptop was there again. But I told him that I wasn't sure I wanted to go back to my old position."

"You didn't say no."

"I _did_ say no. He didn't believe me. He wouldn't accept it. And he offered it to me like I was doing him a favour. When he pointed out that I love the show too much to let things descend into chaos and anarchy . . ." She shook her head. "How could I walk away?"

He took several deep breaths before responding. "So all those times you snuck off. The late-night phone calls you thought I didn't know about. That time you were gone before I woke up. This is why?"

She averted her eyes but nodded. "And now my dad and uncle are coming back to host the final Raw of the year. After that, I have to give Vince my final decision. I wanted to tell you about all of this as soon as it happened."

"But?"

"But . . . I figured he'd appoint somebody else soon enough. Since I'm travelling with you, though, maybe he thought this was easier. I've done it before. I'm even _more_ anonymous now since a lot of people believe Hornswoggle was the GM back then. But I don't think I can handle it now."

"Hey," he held his arms out to her. "Come on, now. How did you handle all this before?"

She snuggled into his embrace and shrugged.

"Yes, you do know. I was there with you. Hm? I held you when you were tired. You leaned on me. And, when you were alone and free, you found your way back to me."

Despite the jumbled thoughts coursing through her mind, she smiled. "You're my guy. How could I not come back to you?"

* * *

><p>"Lola," Vince greeted when she opened the door. He strode forward.<p>

She shook her head. "Honey," she called over her shoulder. "Mr McMahon is here!"

"Great! I'll be right out, babe!" Ryback called from the bedroom.

"He knows?" Vince hissed.

"That you offered me my old job back? Yes. I told him last night. And we discussed it. But there are -"

The Big Guy's shadow loomed over the room. "We, ah, had some questions about her duties."

Vince nodded. "Of course." Not that he would admit it, but the wrestler made the chairman nervous. The memory of the F5 Brock Lesnar had given him still made his hip sore. He didn't want to imagine what Ryback might do if he were aware of his recent interactions with her. "Lola could have as much anonymity as she wants, just as before."

"I'd want to be there. Backstage. No more laptop. No more secrets."

"Seriously?" both men asked.

"The board was aware of who I was. Near the end of my tenure, anyway. Several superstars knew it, too. And the emails are too easy to interrupt." Pausing for a breath, she forced herself to remain calm. "Would it not make more sense for me to simply make my wishes known myself rather than rely on Michael Cole or someone else to read them?"

"I can't argue with that logic," Vince admitted. "But who would ensure your safety?"

"I would," Ryback vowed.

"And while you're in the ring?" Vince countered.

Lola's eyes flickered between the two men. They were both so forceful, so strong, so intriguing. While they glared at each other, she considered the conundrum of being caught between them like this. "I could just sit at the announce table while Ryback has a match. Or hang out backstage with Ziggler."

Ryback remained silent, just as they'd agreed he would.

Vince waited for her to say it was a joke. "With Ziggler? No. Absolutely not."

"By JBL and Cole, then."

"No. Absolutely not," he repeated.

"Where would you have me, then?" she asked flatly.

The older man cleared his throat uncomfortably. He would like to _have_ her wherever he wanted, but he couldn't very well say that in front of the man she said she loved.

"Vince, if you want me to be GM again, it has to be on my terms. My rules. But the truth is that I don't feel up to it anymore. The freedom I felt -"

He held his hands up. "Fine. Once you've decided how you want to play this, let me know." He rose to leave.

"Play?" Lola stood as well. "You think this is some sort of game? If this is all a game to you, I'm not playing anymore."

For one of the few times in his life, Vince McMahon was speechless. She had called his bluff and was done. All he could do was shake his head and wonder if the woman she'd become would ever be willing to be the woman at his side again.


	7. Shadows

_29 December 2014, not long after Raw_

"Nice work tonight, Rollins," Lola greeted from a comfy chair, a tumbler of scotch in her well-manicured hand.

He inclined his head. "When you told me your plan, I have to admit, I wasn't sure I could go through with it. I mean, really? Attacking your uncle AND your father? They're legends!"

Lola smiled wickedly. "Yes. And, of course, Cena would want to save them from real harm. Bringing up the fact that he has a wife and kid at home was a good touch. But if you ever," she informed him through clenched teeth, "_ever_ bring up my baby sister again -"

"Not to worry." He held up his hands. "I just had to get under Cena's skin. Your family's off limits. I know. What do you do now? Triple H and Stephanie are back. Does that mean you're leaving again?"

"No. Quite the contrary. I'm the Shadow of the Authority now. Vince thought he was playing me, but I've been playing him. Ryback knows, of course. No one else does, though, so you mustn't let on that you know anything about this. We clear?"

His head bobbed up and down, his parti-coloured hair swaying.

* * *

><p>Ryback stretched, his muscles glistening in the dim light. "How could you be sure Rollins wouldn't actually . . . you know?"<p>

"Simple. Rollins is too careful. And he respects my family. Well, except for that one little quip he made. And it worked. Cena may have taken his time getting out there and saying what he . . . " She pressed her lips together to keep from laughing out loud. "He just needed a little reminding of what was at stake."

"Wait. You were backstage tonight?"

"No. But I gave him a call." She shook her head. "He spent more time trying to calm me down than he should have. It made the situation seem worse than it would have if - I could have sounded more distressed."

He nodded. "Yeah. But it _did_ work."

She took a deep breath. "That's what I have to remind myself. If Cena had taken any longer . . . And, hey, your promo, your words got a good reaction, both from the crowd in attendance and online."

"But did _you_ like it, babe?"

"I always like hearing you speak, sweetie. It was . . . real. You were you. I may be biased, but it was good. It was from the heart."

He crossed the room to sit beside her. "My heart . . . my heart is yours."

"And it's the best thing I've ever been given." She reached up to caress his jaw. This man had changed her life and made it better in ways he didn't even realise.

* * *

><p>The ringing phone woke her from a peaceful slumber. "Hmph. Who'd be calling at this hour?" she muttered. A glance at the clock told her it was four in the morning.<p>

"Lola, I know it's early, and I'm sorry to wake you, but we need to talk about something," Stephanie's voice rang through the line.

Her mouth felt dry. "H-h-h-h-hang on a sec. Lemme, umph, let me wake up some more." She stumbled to the bathroom, put the phone on speaker, and splashed cold water on her face. "Okay, what's the emergency?"

"It's the Royal Rumble. Do we really want Daniel Bryan, a B+ player, in the mix?"

Lola rolled her eyes. "Stephanie, why can't you admit he's an A+ player already? At least to me?" she queried before shoving the toothbrush into her mouth. There would be no point going back to bed.

A rustling, crinkling sound came through. "Anyway, it's more than that. He's not what we envisioned for the face of the WWE."

"And who would you prefer? Randy Orton?" she blurted before she could stop herself.

There was silence for more than a moment.

Finally, Lola admitted that Orton was a logical choice. "For the time being. But who will carry the torch after him? Ziggler is loved right now. Almost as much as Bryan. It took them a while to get here, to this level of popularity. Do you really want to waste that just to give someone who's had plenty of glory get yet another shot?"

Stephanie was rendered temporarily speechless. When she recovered herself, she asked if she'd like to meet for breakfast to sort things out.

"Yeah. Okay. I'll see you in a couple of hours."


	8. Curve

_Happy New Year, dearies._

Rollins smirked when he entered the room. "Well, Lola, what did you think of -"

The slap came swiftly and harshly. Her face betrayed none of the turmoil she felt inside. "You think this is funny?" she said to his still-smiling face.

"W-" He held a hand to his cheek, hoping his face wouldn't swell; her slaps were the stuff of legend. "I thought this was what you wanted."

She tilted her head. Upsetting everything was what she had wanted. Surprising everyone was what she wanted. Ryback getting blindsided with a handicap match and curb stomped was _not_ what she wanted. "You hurt my Ryback," she stated flatly.

Stephanie rose to pour herself a drink. "But imagine how it'll look when he returns on our side," she reminded Lola. "He can take a little time off like the two of you wanted, then, when he returns to action in a couple of weeks, he'll be even better."

"But not more popular," she pointed out. "It's possible being a minion of The Authority will make him . . . You know . . ."

"Heelish?" Hunter interjected. "Perhaps. Yet some of the most beloved wrestlers have been villains. Remember Eddie?"

Lola gulped back a sob and nodded. The Guerreros were all legends, but Eddie was _Eddie_. Now Chavo Guerrero, Jr., was with Lucha Underground, and she wished she could be at The Temple to cheer him on every week. His one-man conchairto on everyone who approached had been a thing of beauty; there was no denying that she felt a bit traitorous for harboring those thoughts, but she wouldn't speak them aloud.

Instead, she reached for a spring roll. "And Ziggler? What do we do with him next week? Do _they who were fired_ get mentioned? Or do we ignore them and the whole situation until we bring them back?"

Ryback entered the room, a foul look on his face. Noble and Mercury both took a step back and made themselves as inconspicuous as possible. Ryback merely scoffed at them before settling into a chair next to Lola's and helping himself to the pepper steak.

"What if," Stephanie began, "we have Cena fight for your jobs? He could fight Kane, the stipulation being that if Cena wins, you," She glanced at Ryback, "get a chance to return the following week. And we do that for all three of you."

He hummed his agreement as he tore into the other take-away dishes.

Rollins, however, objected. "Don't I get to fight Cena?"

Hunter chuckled. "Always so eager. I like that. Glad Lola chose you to infiltrate the ranks all those months ago."

Lola perused her notes. "What of Balor?" she asked, referring to a very popular member of the NXT roster.

"Not ready, I think," Hunter replied. "Good. Very good. But not quite seasoned enough to come to Raw just yet."

Lola nodded. She'd seen too many good wrestlers get called up to the main roster only to be repackaged and fall flat._'Better a star in the minor league than a dim bulb in the majors,'_ she thought ruefully. Fixing things from within this system was going to be harder work than she'd anticipated.

* * *

><p>Vince McMahon sat back and smiled. The Authority 2.0 thought they had it all under control, but he would be back in power soon enough.<p>

And Lola would be at his side to rule over the empire again.


End file.
